Contents of the FAQ

The rec.heraldry
FAQ will answer basic questions about heraldry. You should consult
it. Here is a list of topics it covers:

What is rec.heraldry?

What other newsgroups and mailing lists are there?

How can I find my coat of arms or my family's coat of arms?

What about those outfits in the malls that'll sell me my arms?

What is the difference between a coat of arms and a crest?

How do you blazon a coat of arms?

What's the SCA? How does it relate to rec.heraldry?

What do arms mean?

How inviolable is the rule of tincture?

Is the Court of Chivalry dead?

What heraldic software is available?

How do I unzip Blazons?

Is there a computerised Ordinary available to download?

Where can I find heraldic clip-art on the net?

What are some books I can turn to to learn more?

What tartan should I wear, and other tartan stuff.

Addresses of national heraldic and genealogical associations.

Distribution of the FAQ

The heraldry FAQ has been downloaded from this site 696 times between
April 5, 1996 and February 23, 1997 (twice a day on average). In the year
from September 8, 1997 to September 9, 1998 it has been accessed 2087 times
(5.7 times per day).

What are your arms?

(This MFAQ is posted weekly to rec.heraldry and is available for download
at this site. It has been downloaded 442 times between April 5, 1996 and
February 23, 1997). In the year
from September 8, 1997 to September 9, 1998 it has been accessed 2607 times
(7 times per day).

The short answer is: there are no "Smith arms", and having
the same name as some Smith family whose arms you have seen in a book or
a mall "heraldry store" does not mean that you can use them.
If you want to make sure that those arms are yours, you need to find a
genealogical link between you and that family. The problem becomes genealogical,
and you should consult the appropriate books and Web
resources (including the soc.genealogy.* newsgroups).

How do I find out if I have arms?

As I said, it's a genealogical question. The best bet is to look into
an armory. Books which list the arms of families are called armories,
and there are many armories for many countries. If you want to look for
arms borne by families with the same name as yours, you need to go to a
library and consult armories. The most general one was compiled by Rietstap
in the late 1800s, and it covers all of Europe; for the British Isles,
the main armory is Burke's. But both are far from complete, not free of
errors, and give no references. Look at the bibliography
for more information on armories.

Once that is done, you need to trace a connection to one of the families
whose arms are in the armory. That can be a difficult task. It is one which
a professional genealogist or heraldist will do for you. I can't
do it for you.

Please do not e-mail me genealogical questions.

Of course, you can always assume arms of your choice, or get a grant
of arms from a heraldic authority, depending on where you live. There
are official heraldic authorities in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada who will
grant arms.

Where to find arms on the Web?

The next most-popular question is: Is there a Web site of FTP site where I can look for my arms?
The answer is: No (in general: see below).
No one has compiled all or even the main armories into a scholarly database;
and if anyone had, it is understandable that they would be reluctant to
provide the fruits of so much effort at no charge. If you want to look for
arms borne by families with the same name as yours, you need to go to a
library and consult armories.

On the French Minitel (36 17), there is an armory look-up which will return
the coat of arms when supplied with a last name, and also provide references.
This service is not accessible through the Web, it is in French, and it
is not free. There are other services on the Web which will look up a
name and return a coat of arms for a fee, though they usually do not
provide references. Look for them with the usual search engines.

Armories

The most general one was compiled by Rietstap in the late 1800s,
and it covers all of Europe, over 100,000 arms.

The Rietstap is far from complete, it is not free of errors (though
it is on the whole reliable). The biggest problem is that it usually gives
no references. The information is limited to name, origin (country or province)
and arms (often with supporters, crest and motto). The Rollands added several
volumes of supplement, and also illustrated all the arms in the Rietstap
(the illustrated general armorial listed above).

For Britain, the most convenient source is John Burke and John
Bernard Burke: General Armory [...], which went through several
editions in the 19th century:

There is a lot more information and references in my annotated bibliography. Be
aware, however, that many books and sources are not readily
available, except in research and university libraries. You
may be able to get a hold of them through Interlibrary Loan:
imnquire with your local public library.

Sonnenburg Collection: a collection
of painted wooden panels bearing arms of various members of the Johanniter
order (German Protestant branch of the Order of Saint John). The historical
panels are for sale. Photographs for about 20 panels are shown.

What is the meaning of a specific coat of arms?

This question also takes the form: there is a widget azure on my
coat of arms, what does it mean?. The general answer is either "nothing"
or "we can't tell". There are a number of exceptions; and it
is also the case that some symbolism was attached to various charges at
different times; but it is often impossible to say if the person who originally
composed the arms had such symbolism in mind. This question is answered
in greater detail in the MFAQ. It is also explored
in greater depth on a separate page, where
I give some examples of possible symbolisms and meanings.

How do I identify a coat of arms?

You have found an object with a coat of arms on it and you would like
to identify it. This is a difficult task. The first thing to do is to get
as much information as possible about the date and, most important, the
geographical origin of the object. Next, you need to describe or depict
the coat of arms: that is, translate the picture into a verbal description
(a blazon) following the rules of heraldry, or else have it done
by someone who knows (you will need the depiction, like a drawing or photograph).

Once that is done, you (or the researcher) must go to an ordinary.
An ordinary is the reverse of an armory: whereas an armory goes from names
to arms (give it a name and it will give you a coat of arms), an ordinary
goes from arms to name.

Ordinaries

Just as there is no complete armory, there is no complete ordinary.
The following resources are useful:

For England, the ordinary which corresponds to Burke's General Armory
is John Woody Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials: An Alphabetical
Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain &
Ireland. London: T. Richards, 1874. Reprints:

London: Tabard Publications, 1961.

Baltimore: Genealogy Publishing Co., 1965.

Bath: Five Barrows, 1977.

London: Heraldry Today, 1985.

For Scotland, there is Sir James Balfour Paul (Lord Lyon King of Arms):
An Ordinary of Arms Contained in the Public Register of all Arms and
Bearings in Scotland, Edinburgh: 1st edition 1893, 2nd edition, 1903.
Reprint: Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. It has been
extended to 1973 by a second volume: An Ordinary of Arms contained in
the public register of all arms and bearings in Scotland, 1902-73.
Edinburgh: Lyon Office, 1977.

For Europe, there is an ordinary which corresponds to Rietstap's armory:
comte Théodore de Renesse: Dictionnaire des figures héraldiques.
Bruxelles: O. Schepens, 1894-1903. (7 volumes). It has been reprinted in
one volume (Leuven: 1992, Jan van Helmont). You need to have the Rietstap
(2nd edition) in hand as well, because Renesse will not always give the
full blazon for each name.

In addition, many of the publications of medieval rolls of arms will
include an ordinary at the end, but these will be difficult to use, since
they are dispersed in many publications and only concern medieval heraldry
anyway.